Water-level regulator.



N. G. GOPLEY.

WATER LEVEL REGULATOR.

APPLICATION mum mum, 1900.

970,421. Patented Sept 13,1910.

fim-Fl law,

hams run) In: um Wunmamn n c T UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE.

- NOI BERTO GUY COPLEY, OF FOSTORIA, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE S. C." REGULATOR COMPANY, OF FOSTORIA, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

WATER-LEVEL REGULATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

' "Application filed February 6, 1909.

Patented Sept. 13, 1910. Serial No. 476,379.

and useful Improvement in \Vater-Level Regulators, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to devices for maintaming the water in a boiler at the desired level, the same being an improvement upon the device shown inthe patent to Robert L.

I Short, No. 743,108.

The invention consists generally of what Iterm a. generator, the same comprising a tube, the ends of which are respectivelyin communication with a boiler. below and abovethe water line, said tube bein" bent intoa U-shape and. lying substantizfily in the same lanewith the water level in the boiler, and a thin metallic casing surrounding the bent part of the tube, said casing being adapted to be partially filled with a medmmthat is capab e of expanding when subjected. to the heat in the tube whenever the water level falls below the plane of said tube so as to admit live steam thereto. The expanded medium acts lfpon a diaphragm controlling the water supply, the inflation of the diaphragm causing a balanced valve to be opened so as to supply additional water-t0 the boiler. Whenever the water in the boiler rises. to the desired level, said tube.fillswith water'and the thin metallic shell cools, condensing the vapor generated while steam. wasjn the tube, thus decreasing the pressure of the medium upon the said diaphragm, whereupon the valve is closed, thus decreasing the water supply to the boiler. 1

Referring to the drawings forming a part hereof, Figure 1 is a view, more orless dia rammatic, showing a portion of a boiler Witl i'my invention applied thereto; Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing a portion of the Water columnpf the boiler with the generator attached thereto. Fig. 3 is a vertical section throu h the said generator, the bent tubefthereoi being shown in elevation; Fig. 4 isja'transve'rse section through Figi3 on the line 4.-A: thereofi; and Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section through the valve and i the controlling mechanism connected there witln Taking up. a more detailed description of the invention by the use of referencecharacters, 1 represents the boiler having a steam dome 2.

3 is the water. column of the boiler, the same being provided with the ordinary glass gage 4. Connected to the lower end of the water. column a pipe 5 leading to the boiler below the water level, said level bein indicated by the line A. Attached to tfie upper. end of the water column is a pipe 6, which leads to the steam dome 2, or to some other point of the boiler above X the water line. It is, of course, understood that the water in the column 3 will rise to the .samelevel' as the water in the boiler.

Attached to the water column is' a. pipeconnection 7, to which is joined one end of a small pipe 8, said pipe being bent into a U-shape near its.center,-the bent portion of the ipe beingcompletely surrounded by j a closed metallic casin 9, said casing being preferably. formed: 0 thincopper. lower end of the pipe 8 is connected with a The pipe connection 10 which is joined to a pipe '11 that-is inturn connected through a T 8 with the water column 3 below the water level ofthe boiler. The bent portion of the pipe 8 lies. just below the normal water level in the boiler, so that the bend-in the pipe 8 is normally filled with water. The rear wall of the casing 9 is provided with an opening through which wateror other medium may be' introduced into the casing, after which the opening is adapted to be closed by a plug' 12 screwed therein. The water in the casing 9 normally stands just above the bend in the pipe 8 so that the said pipe is submerged in the water. Leading from the casing 9 near the lower end thereof is a pipe 13, said pip'el extending to the upper part of a casing 14 containing a diaphragm 15. The diaphragm and casing are supported by means of a yoke 16 from a valve' casing 17, which, as shown, is placed in a steam pipe 18 leadi'n tof'a pump 19. This pump has a water 0y inder 20am pumping water totheboiler 1 through the pipe 21.

While/it is convenient to attach the generator to thewaterfcolumn, as shown and described, this means of connection is by no means necessary, as; it may be connected to the boiler in any other suitable position.

A detail of the valve casing 17 is shown in Fig. 5, from which it will be seen that the by a cage 28, which cage is provided in its lower end with a socket 29 for receiving the lower end of the stem 27, said cage also supporting the lower end of the spring 26. Above the disks 24' and 25 projects a stem 30, said stem having on its upper end a plate 31, which rests agalnst the lower side of they diaphragm 15. With this construction, it

will be understood that when the water in the boiler is at the desired level, as indicated by the line A, the bent portion of the pipe 8- within the casing 9 is filled with water, while the water in the said casing substantially covers the pipe. Under these circumstances, the pressure within the casing 9 and upon the diaphragm 15 will not be suflicient to materially depress the diaphragm, and the disks 24 and 25 are therefore maintained substantially in their closed positions. When, however, the level in the boiler falls below the bent portion of the pipe, the latter becomes filled with steam, which partially evaporates the water or other medium in the casing 9, thus creatinga pressure therein,

which, acting upon the upper side of the diaphragm, presses the plate 31 and the disks 24 and 25 so as to open the valve. Additional steam is thus su plied to the pump 19, which supplies an ad itional quantity of water to the boiler, the pump being maintained in operation until the desired water level is again reached, when the bent portion of the pi e 8 again fills with water, cools, and con ensation in the casing 9 removes the pressuretherein, which results in the closure of the valve and the stoppage of the pump. v

The above description applies when my invention is used for controlling the supply of steam to the pump. This is the manner in which I contemplate using the invention where a single boiler is to be controlled.

Where a battery of boilers are to be controlled, I prefer to place controlling valve disks 24 and 25 in the water supply pipes 21, there being one of said sets of disks and controlling devices for each of the boilers. When thus employed, the pump may continue to operate, but the amount of water supplied to any one boiler will be controlled by the valve in the water supply pipe for that boiler. v

In operation, water or some other suit able medium is introduced through the opening for the plug 12 in the casing 9 until the space above the diaphragm, the pi the casing 9 up to said plug are fi ed. The bent part of the tube 8 lies in a plane that is slightly inclined vfrom the horizontal so that the water will run" out of the pipe from below and admit the steam irom above whenever the water level falls. This same plane may be substantially maintained althou h the casing 9 may be raised or lowered; or by turning the i e connection '10 about an axis coincident with the pipe 11, the 8 and the corresponding side of the pipe 8 are lifted. If the pi e connection 7 be, at the same time, turne a like amount the other side of the pi e 8 is also lifted and the former plane 0 the bent portion of the pipe is thus maintained.

In order to hold the valve open when no steam is in the boiler or when it is desired to pump water into the boiler above the normal water-line where the generator is located, or to throw the regulator out of operation should occasion require, I provide e13 and screw threads upon the stem 30 at 32, upon which is a threaded hand wheel or nut33 said wheel or nut bein adaptedtobescrewe against'a stationary irace 34 that extends between the yoke bars 16. By screwing upon this wheel or, nut, the valve disks are forced open and the plate 31 is separated from the diaphragm.

' Various modifications in details of construction may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention, and sire it to be understood that the following 'claims are not intended to be limited to such details any further than may be necessitated by their specific terms and by the prior state of the art. I

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is: H 1

1. The combination, with a boiler and means for feeding water thereto, of mechan- I deism for controlling said feeding means in-- eluding a valve casin a valve in said casing, means for norma ly holding said valve in its closed position, a diaphragm, operative connections between said diaphragm and the valve, and a generator connected with the boiler above and connections between said generator and the diaphragm whereby, when the water level flows below a predetermined level, the said.

below the water level,

diaphragm will be caused to operate to unseat the valve, and means independent of said diaphragm for operating the valveand holding the same in any degree of open position. 1

2. The combination with a boiler, a generator, pipes joining said generator with the boiler above and below the water level in the boiler, said pipps being capable of turn- .ing so as .to raise or lower the generator,

means for feeding water to the boiler, and a regulator under control of said, generator for regulating the supply of water to the boiler.

- 3. The combination" with a boiler, of pipes res ectively connected with said boiler above an below, the water line therein, of a genof said generator for regulating the supply of water to the boiler. I I

1. Thecombination with a boiler, of a pair of pipes respectively connected with the boiler above and below the water line therein, said pipes being adapted to be turned about their points of connection, of a bent tube connected with the free ends of said pipes, a closed casing surrounding the bent ortion of said tube, the said bent portion lying slightly out of a horizontal lane, means for feeding water to the boi er, a regulator for controlllng said means, and

connections between said regulator and the said casing, as and'for the urpose specified. 5'. The combination wit a boiler, of a generator connected with said boiler above and below the water level therein means for feedin water to th boiler, mechanism for control in said feeding means, said mechanism inc uding a valve casing, a valve in said casing, means for pressing said valve toward its closed position,'a threaded valve stem, a diapiragm adapted to act on said stem, connec ions between said diaphra and the generator for pressin on the va ve stem to 0 en the valve when t e water level in the boiler falls, a hand wheel or nut on the valve stem, and stationary means with WhlCh said wheel or nut may enga e when the wheel or nut 1s screwed in one irectlon for depressing the valve stem and holding 

